The Godling Chronicles

by Brian D. Anderson

  Try as he might, Jayden could not accept what Linis was telling him. How could his parents have kept such a thing hidden? It seemed impossible.

  “But what about Harman Stedding?” he asked. “How can my father be a god if he had a human father himself?”

  “From what Millet has told me, he and Lee Starfinder brought Gewey here from Hazrah. They then gave him to your grandfather, who adopted him. I only know a small part of that story, so I’m not sure of the reasons for this. Millet could tell you more.”

  “Millet knows too?”

  Linis nodded. “We traveled together during the war. I first met them when they were fleeing the Dark Knight to Althetas. I fought many battles by Darshan’s side.”

  As difficult as it was for Jayden to believe, Linis certainly gave every appearance of telling the truth. “What about my mother?” he asked.

  “She was exiled and sentenced to death for joining with your father. The elves thought him a mere human at the time, and such a union was forbidden.” A smile crept up on his lips. “Though that was nothing compared to what happened when they found out he was a god.”

  Jayden was well aware that elves did not care for the gods. “So that’s why their bond is so strong?”

  “It is. The tale of Darshan is long and complicated. And I only know what I personally experienced. We spent much of the war separated. But in later years, Millet chronicled much of it.”

  “I don’t know what to think about all of this,” Jayden sighed. “It just doesn’t seem real.”

  “I assure you it is.”

  “But if my father is Darshan, what could have happened to him?”

  “That is what I find most troubling of all,” Linis admitted. “It would take nothing short of a god to lay him low. And even then it would take more than one.”

  He glanced across to look Jayden directly in the eye before continuing. “You see, I believed for a time that your father had lost his powers. After the war, he told everyone that this was the price he had to pay if he wanted to remain in the mortal world. Then, a few years ago, I discovered that he had lied to us. I was angry at first. But on reflection, I understand why he would want it kept secret. All he ever desired was a simple life with your mother. And so I helped him keep up the deception. Only a few people know who your father really is. And even amongst them, only Dina and myself know that he still has his powers.”

  “So you think it must be the gods who have done something to him?” Jayden asked.

  “I don’t know for sure, though I can think of no other being strong enough to cause him harm. Whatever the case, we’ll find out soon enough. For now, we need to focus on getting to Baltria. If this truly is a scheme of the gods, the road could be far more dangerous than anticipated.”

  As they continued walking, Jayden thought on what he had been told. A part of him was still finding it almost impossible to accept, even though in his heart he knew that Linis was not lying. That left only two possibilities: either Linis was delusional, or his father was indeed Darshan.

  Upon reaching the farm, Linis instructed him to saddle two horses while he gathered what they would need for the journey. Unfortunately, there would not be a boat heading downriver for another two days, so they would have to take the road south to Helenia and catch one there.

  After saddling the second horse, Jayden spotted another mount in one of the stables that he recognized instantly – the old mare that his father rode whenever traveling. He rushed over, but from the look of it, the animal hadn’t been anywhere in quite a long time. His father’s saddle was hanging on a hook, polished and perfectly clean.

  “Gewey leaves it here with me whenever he’s away,” Linis told him as he entered the barn, several bundles slung over his shoulder. On his belt he now wore a long blade and a dagger. After packing both horses, he handed one of them over to Jayden and then leapt nimbly into the saddle of the other.

  “I know you have more questions,” he said. “But for now, we need to move quickly. Every minute we delay endangers your mother.”

  Jayden nodded sharply. More questions? That was a gross understatement. Right at this moment, he felt as if his entire life had been nothing but an illusion. It didn’t make sense that his parents would keep such secrets from him. Did they fear he would tell people? Or that he couldn’t handle the truth? Didn’t they trust him at all?

  He would find his father. And heal his mother. But once that was done, they would then have much to answer for.

  Chapter Three

  As they rode south, Jayden could not help but notice that Linis was unusually tense. More than once he stopped and listened intently for several minutes before moving on. The road was fairly wide and flanked on either side by thick forest, though at times they did manage to catch a glimpse of the Goodbranch River over to their right.

  Trade had been steady since the end of the war, which meant they were likely to encounter several travelers heading north. Some of these would stop in Sharpstone to unload their goods, while others had different destinations in mind to conduct their business.

  He peppered Linis with questions, and while the elf was forthcoming with information, nothing he said helped Jayden to piece things together.

  “It was a difficult time,” Linis told him. “The elves were still just as divided as they had ever been since the split. We didn’t even have knowledge of the desert elves in those days. And the great barrier had only recently fallen.”

  “It is said that Darshan united the elves and humans.”

  Linis nodded. “He did, at least to a point. You must understand how things were back then. Humans had no memory of the Great War, whereas the elves were led by those who had fought the battles, and still well remembered the old animosities. The Dark Knight was cunning. He used everyone’s fears and hatred to reopen old wounds and sow widespread mistrust. It was human against human, elf against elf. And all the time they were fighting each other, the armies of Angrääl were poised to sweep across the land and destroy us.”

  “What about you?” Jayden asked. “How did you feel about humans?”

  Linis smiled. “I was a foolish idealist. I still am, I suppose. I believed the only way forward was for human and elf to co-exist. In a way, that’s how I met your father. I guided him for a time, and helped him avoid those who sought to do him harm. Of course, he was barely more than a boy back then. I’m not sure he had even come of age.”

  This sounded strange to Jayden. “If he was a god, why was he running?” he asked.

  “He had yet to fully discover the extent of his powers.” Linis paused while he smiled at a memory. “He almost killed me by accident when he was still trying to develop them – blasted a ten-foot-wide hole in the ground right beside me, he did.”

  Jayden had attempted to use the flow himself when he was younger, but found he lacked the ability. It made sense to him at the time. Whereas his sisters had obviously inherited the talent from their mother, he’d imagined the human half of him had prevented his use of it. Now, however…

  He closed his eyes and tried to still his mind. For a few seconds, he felt nothing. Then, as if from a great distance, he heard a heavy thump, rather like a heartbeat, but infinitely deeper.

  “This is not the time,” snapped Linis.

  Instantly, the sound ceased. He looked over to see Linis frowning. “I felt it. Or at least, I think I did.”

  “You mustn’t try that again,” the elf told him. “It’s dangerous. Especially for you.”

  “Why? My sisters use it all the time.”

  “Your sisters are not you.”

  Jayden was on the point of asking him why, after so many failed attempts, he was suddenly able to connect with the flow, when Linis drew his mount up short.

  “Someone’s approaching,” he whispered.

  Jayden tensed. The forest was known to harbor bandits, though he wouldn’t normally expect them to attack two armed men. At first, he heard nothing. Then, a few seconds later, there was a rustling
in the underbrush just ahead. Four men stepped out onto the road, each wearing light leather armor and carrying short blades.

  “Stand aside,” called Linis. “Seek out easier prey.” He punctuated his words by drawing his sword.

  A man with shaggy red hair and pale skin strode forward. “Our quarrel is not with you, elf. We’ve come for the boy.”

  On hearing this, Jayden immediately unsheathed his sword as well.

  “You bear the symbol of Saraf,” said Linis.

  Jayden looked closely. Indeed, the symbol of the sea god was etched upon the breast of each man’s armor.

  “Again I say – we only want the boy.”

  “Who sent you?” Linis demanded.

  “We come bearing the authority of heaven itself. Hand him over or die.”

  Jayden’s heart was thudding in his chest. He had never faced this kind of violent threat before. All the same, he refused to cower.

  “And I say, turn back or prepare to meet the gods personally,” Linis retorted. He glanced over to Jayden. “Keep your wits about you and everything will be fine.”

  Jayden knew he should be afraid, but could feel only rage growing inside him. “I’m ready,” he growled.

  With the name of Saraf howling from their lips, all four men charged. Jayden saw Linis’s mount rear up wildly just as the elf sprang from the saddle, a vicious snarl on his face. His own mount was a touch less startled by the sudden mayhem, allowing him to free himself easily from the stirrups and land with his feet squarely on the ground. He was quickly on Linis’s heels.

  The elf ducked low as he met their foes, the blade of the attacker to the left of him cutting through the air just above his head. Jayden had never seen anyone move with such speed and agility. Linis split the armor of the next man with a single slash, carving a deep gash into his chest.

  Jayden’s attack was far clumsier. Soon, though, he realized that his size and strength were compensating to some degree for his lack of fighting experience. Sparks flew in all directions as steel crashed into steel, with his superiorly crafted blade very quickly shattering that of the first man he faced. The sheer might of the blow drove his enemy back and down onto one knee. Jayden stepped eagerly forward to make good his advantage, but a flashing blade coming in from his right hand side forced him to rapidly adjust in order to block a series of wild blows. He found himself being driven back several paces.

  Linis, meanwhile, was already finishing off his second opponent, taking his head from his shoulders in the blink of an eye.

  Regaining his balance, Jayden pressed forward again, remembering what his father had taught him. He saw a small opening and lunged. The tip of his sword got through to puncture his opponent’s right shoulder, but it was not a telling strike. The man’s armor took most of the damage, and Jayden was forced to lean awkwardly back to avoid the counter strike.

  By now, his other foe had discarded his broken blade and had drawn a short dagger. Rather than move in close with this, he raised his arm and let it fly. Linis was too far away to do anything to prevent what was about to happen, and the blade whirled toward Jayden. He thought to move left out of the way, but a strike from the enemy he was still battling with prevented this. Pain surged through him as the dagger buried itself deep into his flesh just below his collarbone.

  Running over, Linis rammed his weapon through the enemy’s heart, but the damage was already done. Not that Jayden was about give in. In fact, for a moment his injury gave him added fury and impetus. Ducking right, he brought his sword crashing down, cleaving the last man’s shoulder. His cry of agony was quickly silenced as Jayden followed up with a spinning sweep that cut halfway through his opponent’s skull.

  Jerking his blade free, he stumbled back and caught his breath. Though blood was soaking his shirt, the pain from the protruding dagger was surprisingly light.

  Linis was at his side in an instant. “Let me see it,” he said. There was an edge of panic attached to his voice.

  “I’m fine,” Jayden assured him. “It doesn’t even hurt.”

  Ignoring this claim, Linis ripped open his shirt. “Sit down,” he ordered. “I need to stop the bleeding.”

  Jayden did as instructed, and within seconds he was very glad that he had. The pain, as well as the blood flow, increased dramatically the moment Linis pulled the dagger free. This done, Jayden expected him to apply pressure to the wound, but instead the elf placed his hands directly over it.

  “This may feel a bit odd,” he warned.

  Jayden sucked his teeth as an icy sensation swept over his body, as if he’d been dipped naked into a freezing cold spring. Be that as it may, within seconds the bleeding had stopped and the torn flesh was weaving itself back together.

  He had heard about how the flow could be used for healing, but had never experienced it himself nor seen it done. For some reason his mother had been reluctant to use her gifts in his presence, and the few minor injuries he had suffered as a child were always treated with traditional methods. When occasionally a farm hand suffered injuries serious enough to require her attention, he was always sent into another room. He had never been sure why this was. Now, however, he suspected it had something to do with what was happening to her and his father.

  “That should be enough,” said Linis.

  The wound was completely closed. As the elf retrieved his waterskin and began to clean his hands, along with the blood on Jayden’s chest, he could see that only a light red circle indicated where the dagger had entered. It still throbbed, but the pain was tolerable.

  He glanced over to the bodies strewn across the road. “You think they knew where we are going?”

  “It would seem so,” said Linis. “And that doesn’t bode well for us. These were not trained killers. Priests wearing armor, more likely. Definitely not warriors.”

  “How could they have known?”

  “I’m not sure. They were from the temple of Saraf. At least, that’s what they wanted us to believe. I can only assume that the gods must have a hand in whatever is going on, so I’m afraid we’ll need to avoid Helenia.”

  “But that will make the trip twice as long,” Jayden protested. Now more than ever a feeling of urgency was seeping in.

  “We can buy a small boat in Darmon,” Linis told him. “That’s only half a day further on.”

  That would mean selling the horses. But at least it would get them to where they needed to be more quickly. Once he had retrieved a fresh shirt from his pack, Jayden set about helping Linis drag the bodies well away from the road. He had never killed before. After hearing quite a lot of stories about the war from former soldiers who worked at the farm, he’d imagined it would unnerve him. But it hadn’t. Quite the opposite, in fact. He’d found it…exhilarating.

  “Will you teach me the sword?” he asked, once they were remounted.

  “Your father has already taught you, has he not?”

  “Only the basics.”

  “In that case, you did rather well. In truth, I am impressed with how composed you have been in the wake of it. Most people become upset after their first kill.”

  Jayden glanced back at the shrubs where the bodies were hidden. “Some men deserve to die.”

  Linis cocked his head. “And you believe yourself wise enough to judge which men should live and which should die?”

  Jayden huffed. “Those we killed wanted me dead. So, yes. And I’ll do the same to anyone else who tries to hurt me or my family.”

  For a brief moment, Linis regarded him curiously. “I used to think you were much like your father. Now, though, I see something very different about you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Gewey agonized over every death he caused during the war. You do not seem to have the same problem.”

  “Are you saying that I’m heartless?”

  Linis laughed. “Certainly not. I know you too well to think that. And in all honesty, I was the same. The first time I took a life, I wasn’t bothered. Nor did I feel any re
gret later on. I did what had to be done, and that was the end of it. Your father, however…his emotions run deeper than those of anyone I have ever known. Perhaps it is simply the price he pays for being a god.”

  He paused to look directly at Jayden. “If my instincts are correct, this will not be the last time you are forced to kill. It is good that it will not paralyze you with grief.”

  Jayden nodded. His father was a man of deep feelings; that much was common knowledge. Perhaps it was his mother’s line that gave him this sense of detachment?

  He pictured the moment his blade had ended the life of his foe – the look of horror and fear on the man’s face and his wail of pain. Not a flutter of emotion from within. No…that wasn’t quite true. He had felt something. Power! Just for an instant, he’d felt a tremendous surge of power.

  Was that something he should be feeling? He thought to ask Linis, but eventually decided against it. He would keep this to himself. He wasn’t sure what it said about him, anyway. Rather than any sense of guilt, he’d felt nothing but excitement.

  Did he really want to know what kind of man that made him?

  Chapter Four

  Linis led them away from the main road once they drew near Helenia. It was a wise precaution. Though it was possible that their attackers had come from elsewhere, it was definitely the most likely place.

  Jayden spent much of the time as they pressed on asking the elf about the war, hoping to somehow reconcile the truth in his mind. He had always thought of his father as a kind and gentle man. Everyone in Sharpstone loved and respected him. To think he had once wiped out entire armies...even after hearing Linis tell the stories, he still could not quite picture him doing it.

  Upon reaching Darmon, they made straight for a livery stable and sold their mounts. The town was little more than a small collection of buildings – a stopover for weary travelers and a handy place for the watercraft that traveled up and down the Goodbranch to make repairs. Linis had timed things well, and their early morning arrival meant that they would not be forced to stay overnight.